Maelstrom and the Thousand Year Door
by pain17ification
Summary: Due to having gained next to nothing during the first year of the training trip, Naruto gets advice from the Kyuubi and takes matters into his own hands. At first, his new choice of study goes well, and he even has an unexpected reunion. But, when he tries something he wasn't truly ready for, he gets sent hurtling to a new world, landing in front of an ancient door underground!
1. Chapter 1: Prelude to a New Adventure

**Hello people of FanFiction! Here I am again with another crossover story idea!**

 **Before I begin, I want everyone to know that, while this is a** _ **Paper Mario**_ **crossover, the story won't have paper styled elements. Also, I'm gonna really lay it on Jiraiya in this. I'll explain why at the ending notes of the chapter.**

 **As always, I do not own anything!**

* * *

 _The Maelstrom and the Thousand Year Door_

 _Chapter One: Prelude to a New Adventure_

* * *

Within the borders of the Land of Fire sat a blonde haired teen in a bright orange jumpsuit. He was sitting on a bed inside of a hotel room, back leant against the headboard and gaze towards the ceiling. His deep, cerulean orbs were dulled as he laid in thought, thinking over the past and recent events in his life.

About a year ago, someone that he had considered a brother had tried to defect from the Hidden Leaf and didn't hesitate to try and kill him to do so. He still had the scar from their clash at the Valley of the End, caused by a jutsu tainted with dark chakra. A sigh escaped his lips as he recalled the ultimate result being his loss of the fight and the failure of stopping his wayward friend from leaving.

"Dammit, Sasuke," he muttered with frustration lacing his tone. "Was our bond really so meaningless to you?"

He sighed again and closed his eyes, putting thoughts of the Uchiha into the back of his mental processing. Coming to the forefront were thoughts concerning his tenant; a being made of chakra and possessing immense power and nine tails. The Kyuubi had surprisingly helped him in that fight, saving him from death not once, but three times. A part of him knew it was just the fox trying to preserve its own life, but another part felt grateful towards the chakra beast.

With nothing else but a whim, he relaxed his body and slowly entered the representation of his mind and the seal holding back the fox. The sensations of the hotel room faded away, replaced by the atmosphere of the seal and the feeling of water reaching slightly above his ankles. Opening his eyes, he saw the cage and seal holding back the fox, and said beast's gleaming crimson eyes poking out of the darkness it resided in.

"Kyuubi," he greeted, surprising himself at how calm he had sounded.

 _ **"** **Boy,"**_ returned the Bijuu, resting its head on its forelimbs. _**"Why are you here?"**_

The blonde shrugged, hands in his pockets as he stepped up to the bars of the cage. "Nothing important. I just wanted to thank you for helping me back then against Sasuke. I… I really appreciate it."

A furry brow rose at the statement. _**"What brought this on?"**_

"The realization that I would've died many times if you didn't step in and give me some of your chakra. I used to think that I was strong and could take on anyone…" He sighed, eyes closing in resignation. "But that fight with Sasuke was a real eye-opener. On my own, I'm not much, and most of my victories have been won either by dumb luck, or with your chakra helping me." He started to raise fingers as he continued, "Haku, Orochimaru, Neji, Gaara, Dotou, and now Sasuke… Those were all of the times your chakra saved my ass and gave me the strength I needed to win."

 _ **"** **And here I thought you had a spirit like fire,"**_ taunted the fox. _**"What are you getting at with this?"**_

Blue eyes narrowed. "Nothing. I'm not trying to get anything out of this, fox. I'm just letting you know that you were right; I'm not as strong as I made myself out to be."

The Bijuu snorted. _**"Of course not. You had guts, there's no doubt there. But when it came to backing up your claims...well, you could savor the fact that they were always amusing to witness."**_

"No need to rub it in. I already know where I stand, but that doesn't mean I'm gonna stay there. The Pervert is gonna use these next couple of years to make me stronger than ever."

 _ **"** **Is that right?"**_ queried the fox, nonchalance in its tone. _**"And where exactly is that wart-riddled hermit at now?"**_

That stopped Naruto short. "Well… He's uh…"

 _ **"** **Giving into those so-called 'vices' that he warned you to stay away from?"**_

He cringed at that. "...most likely…"

 _ **"** **And how exactly do you expect to get, in your words,**_ **stronger than ever** _ **if that fool is out gallivanting like the imbecile he is?"**_

"...I don't know," admitted the Uzumaki.

The Kyuubi rolled its eyes and continued, _**"Let's also not forget that this so-called Sannin swindled you out of your money for his own personal pleasure, nearly KILLED you, and by extension ME, just to get you to summon, and left you on your own right when those two cloaked ninja were on the hunt for you."**_

Naruto winced at each point the Kyuubi brought up. Looking back, he frowned as he took each scenario apart. If Jiraiya had stayed with him, those two nuke-nin wouldn't have caught him. Itachi _had_ said that fighting Jiraiya would have been either a loss or a draw for the two of them.

"Alright, you've made your point!" he relented, shouting it out in frustration. "What should I do then?"

 _ **"** **If you want to have any kind of chance to get better than you are now, then what you have to do is take your training into your own hands. If that idiot wanted you to use my chakra within a month just for summoning amphibians, then what do you think he'll want you to do with it in the span of a couple of years?"**_

"And knowing you, you'd make it next to impossible to meet his expectations, wouldn't you?" he asked back knowingly.

 _ **"** **Of course I would. What do you take me for?"**_

"How exactly am I supposed to take matters into my own hands when I know so little?! I can barely control my chakra, my greatest trick is to copy myself, and my one jutsu that could take down others needs a damn clone to help me do it! And so far, all the pervert has taught me is how to dispel a genjutsu, which should've been taught to me by Kakashi-sensei!"

Annoyed at the teen in front of it, the Bijuu bashed its head against the cage and snarled, making him step back in fright. _**"I don't need, nor want, to hear you whine like a pathetic child! You always go on about proving people wrong; well, prove it! You can't have someone hold your hand through everything, brat! You're not an infant...or are you?"**_

Naruto glared at the fox before he cut off the connection between them and refocused on the room he was in. "Damn fox…" he muttered, hating that it was right. Too frustrated to do anything else, he laid back down on his bed and eased himself into a difficult sleep.

* * *

"Alright kid, let's see how far along you are on summoning," declared Jiraiya late in the morning.

With the conversation from the night before still fresh on his mind, Naruto had a frown on his face as he went through the motions for the jutsu. Placing his bloody palm on the ground, he brought out the son of Gamabunta, Gamakichi.

"You're kidding me, right?"

"Hey!" called out the toad indignantly. "I'm awesome!"

"You're a child who can't fight," immediately shut down the Toad Sage.

"And you're a lousy pervert who is a terrible teacher!" raged Naruto, letting his frustration take over.

"Whoa, where did that come from?" Jiraiya asked in slight surprise.

Naruto point towards the Sannin, eyes narrowed in agitation. "Ever since we've met, you've done nothing but drill me on summoning and having me figure out a complex jutsu on my own! When you're not doing that, you're off with MY money, wasting your time with women that I've heard were called sluts, and doing crappy research only to get your ass beat every damn time! In fact, you're so perverted that I have to resort to using the Sexy Jutsu just to keep you the least bit motivated in training me!"

The man frowned back. "You know, most people would've been happy to have received my training. Or did you forget that I-?"

"Trained the Fourth Hokage?" cut off Naruto. "Oh yes, because it's not like I've heard you use THAT line so many times before! You used that line to pick up women, and you expect me to think it matters now?"

"I'll have you know that I'm a damn good teacher, brat! You just don't know how to appreciate what I'm offering you!"

"And what have you offered me, you goddamn pervert?!" he roared. "A quick death?! Or did you forget that you pushed me off of a fucking cliff, into a ravine, with zero chance of saving myself unless I miraculously summoned a toad?! Thank the Kami I summoned Gamabunta, or else you'd have to explain why I didn't show up to the damn Finals and why my corpse was at the bottom of a damn chasm!"

"I taught you one of the Fourth Hokage's greatest jutsu known throughout the Ninja world."

"Taught?! All you did was give me water balloons and rubber balls to pop without giving me a damn clue on how to do it! What makes it worse, I have to use a clone to complete it since my chakra control sucks!"

Jiraiya crossed his arm as his eyes narrowed on Naruto. "Really? And whose fault is it that you have crappy control? In fact, teaching you the _Rasengan_ should have refined it."

Naruto held out his hand upward as he attempted to use the _Rasengan_. The only thing that happened was chakra haphazardly swirling around before dissipating. "Did that looked refined to you?! If you had actually helped me with the _Rasengan_ , I'd probably be doing a whole lot better with summoning or even my _Shadow Clones_!"

Without thinking, the Toad Sage yelled, "Well, maybe the problem is that you're a terrible student! It's not my fault you can't learn what I try to teach you!"

That made Naruto stop his rant in exchange for a look of shock and hurt. It was quickly dropped for an angry glare before he turned and walked away. As he left, he muttered, "Fuck you, Jiraiya…"

That made the Sannin wince, knowing that he went too far. "You're a real class act," said Gamakichi, frowning at the white-haired man. "From what pops told me, you were just as bad as him; and you didn't have a Bijuu to drag you down. If he's a bad student as a Jinchuriki, what does that make you?"

With that said, the toad went back home and left Jiraiya alone to wallow in the guilt of his own words. He was right; Jiraiya had been a terrible learner and struggled through everything taught to him when he was Naruto's age. To make matters worse in comparison, Naruto had a valid reason for his difficult time learning while Jiraiya did not; and he ignored that just to save face and not be told off by someone less than half his age.

He sighed as he realized his success with the Fourth Hokage had gone to his head, making him arrogant as a supposed instructor. Minato was actually a genius in comparison to Naruto, not needing anything other than someone to point him in the right direction. And that was all Jiraiya had done; show him the first steps before Minato took over on his own. And then Minato went on to teach Jiraiya the _Rasengan_! His own _student_ was the one to teach _him_ a powerful jutsu!

"You fucked this one up, Jiraiya," he muttered to himself, self-loathing in his tone.

* * *

Naruto was in the middle of a training session between himself and his clones, three of them against him at the same time. It was much easier for him this time since he had been doing this for a while; not to mention he was able to read the clones all telegraphing their moves.

 _'Do I really fight this bad?'_ he mused despondently, as he dispatched the three clones with a pair of kunai slashes. He sighed as he put away his weapons, moving over to a tree so that he could pull out a notebook. He needed a break, and his muse had been sparked during his rant at Jiraiya.

Not many people knew this about Naruto, but he enjoyed reading adventure stories and was in the midst of writing his own. It started after he found out that it was Jiraiya who wrote that smut that Kakashi read all the time, and he figured that if a pervert could become a famous writer so easily, how hard could it be?

And so, during moments of free time when his muse was awake, he would write down his ideas and continue his story. Like the ones he read, it was an adventure story that had a hero and the companions that tagged along with him rescuing a woman from a fierce monster.

He felt a little self-conscious at naming the main character after him, but he figured it was something that many authors did. Oturan Uzuki was the name of the character, and he was trying to rescue Princess Momo from the clutches of Ryūkame and his underlings.

So far, he had written about Oturan fighting four ninja brothers at their fortress, an ancient spirit in the middle of a desert, a monster that devoured ghosts, and a general locked inside of a child's toy box. Now, he was writing about the hero and his six companions riding a giant whale to an island that houses a tribal people and a sacred volcano. (1)

 _ **"** **What do you hope to accomplish with this book?"**_ questioned the Kyuubi.

 _'I just want to see how people will respond to something I write. I know that I won't have much luck in being well-liked thanks to holding you,'_ the fox snorted, _'but maybe I can be famous as a fantasy writer. It could happen.'_

 _ **" _Y_ our desire for acceptance is almost pitiable...but the drive you have is commendable."**_

 _'Am I hearing things, or is that you starting to come around, fox?'_ asked the blond with a mental smile. _'Y'know, we_ could _be friends, if you want? I wouldn't mind starting over with you.'_

The Bijuu rolled its eyes. _**"And why, pray tell, would I want to be friends with you?"**_

 _'...Maybe because I'm the only person you can talk to at the moment?'_

 _ **"** **That doesn't help whatsoever,"**_ shut down the fox in a deadpan tone.

 _'Well, how about the fact that I've thanked you for your help and I understand that I took your chakra for granted?'_

 **"** _ **That just shows me that you know I was right."**_

 _'You're not making this easy for me, are you? I really want to try and establish some kind of connection with you beyond the obvious. Is there anything I can do, besides removing the seal?'_

 _ **"..."**_

 _'...'_

 _ **"..."**_

 _'...Well uh, if you come up with anything, let me know,'_ awkwardly finished Naruto before he cut off the connection and resumed writing.

* * *

Later that evening, Naruto was still avoiding Jiraiya, too angry at having a wasted year under his belt when it could've been much more fruitful. He had asked for a separate room at the check-in desk and was now on the floor above the Toad Sage.

 _ **"** **...Boy."**_

He jumped when the Kyuubi suddenly spoke up. _'Geez… You scared me! What's up?'_

 _ **"** **You want to try and start fresh, right?"**_

 _'Yea…? That's what I said earlier. Did you come up with something?'_

 _ **"** **As a matter of fact, I did. You remember how this toad summoner was somehow able to alter the seal on you?"**_

Naruto cringed at the memory. It was halfway through the first year that Jiraiya decided to try to loosen the seal a bit and give him more access to the fox's chakra. Problem was that he was nowhere near ready to handle the corruption the chakra brought forth, making him go into a berserker rage as soon as he accessed it.

 _'Yes, I remember that. What's your point?'_

 _ **"** **Only a practitioner of seals could have any kind of chance of doing what he did, even if he had the key on hand. So, here's what I want you to do; search his belongings for anything related to fuinjutsu."**_

 _'What exactly will this accomplish?'_

 _ **"** **With enough training and practice, you could find a way to alter the seal to benefit the both of us without repercussion. When that happens, we'll become a true Jinchuriki and Bijuu team."**_

The notion sounded appealing to the blonde Uzumaki, and he grinned at the fox offering him a way to establish a friendship. _'Alright, I'll do it. But how am I supposed to get to his st-?'_

 _ **"** ** _T_ he pervert is out of range with some random woman,"**_ deadpanned the fox.

That made him sweatdrop. _'...Oh.'_

With that, he went down to the lower floor and stopped at Jiraiya's room. Easily picking the lock, he was unaware of a seal lighting up before it corroded away thanks to the Kyuubi pulsing its chakra in a split second. Stepping into the room, he checked Jiraiya's belongings and found a few journals; most of them related to the man's _Icha Icha_ series.

"Come on… Where the hell are his-? Oh," he said, cutting off his question and holding up a notebook stuffed with papers and sticky notes. "Here it is."

 _ **"** ** _G_ ood, now get back to the room and take a look at it. And fix up the room, or else he'll suspect someone was in here."**_

Nodding, he replaced everything where he found it and snuck back out, locking the door and rushing up to his room. Locking his own door, he sat on the bed and opened up the notebook to the first page. "Alright, let's see… _The intricate art of fuinjutsu is one of the most diverse and difficult studies in the ninja world..._ "

* * *

"Okay… Just need to fix this mark here… Add a couple of strokes there… Adjust the formula…" murmured Naruto as he looked over a large sealing array he was working on. Two months had gone by since he had taken Jiraiya's notebook concerning fuinjutsu, and the Kyuubi had made a mental copy of it after having its container skim through it all.

Being a chakra construct given life had its advantages, and one of them was something similar to an eidetic memory. It was thanks to that perk that the Kyuubi was able to do this, allowing Naruto to easily replace the notebook back with Jiraiya's belongings so that the man was none the wiser to it being taken.

 _ **"** **You missed a couple of strokes up top,"**_ advised the fox.

 _'Right, thanks.'_ Fixing it, he stepped back and observed his progress. _'Alright, that looks about right. What do you think, fox?'_

 _ **"** **Let's see how it works out. Go ahead and activate it."**_

The teen nodded and knelt down with his palms on the seal. Pumping his chakra into it, the array lit up a whitish-blue and covered the room in its glow. After a few moments, chakra bubbles began to form and float from the seal, each one taking on one of five colors: blue, orange, brown, green, and yellow.

"So far, so good…"

The bubbles began to slowly float in a circular motion, like a carousel before the one that glowed green floated to him, followed by the one that glowed yellow; though the yellow one shrunk in size as it neared him. Both fell into his body with the chakra rippling like a calm lake before the array died down.

"So…?"

 _ **"** ** _I_ t looks like it worked, and it was accurate. It showed your Wind affinity, along with your lesser Lightning affinity. Nice work, brat."**_

Slumping comically in the corner, the Uzumaki mumbled, "I'm not a brat…"

The Kyuubi rolled its eyes at the childish reaction. _**"Quit fooling around. With this, we can move on to the advanced notes."**_

 _'Awesome!'_ he cheered mentally, dropping the sulking act in an instant, before he flinched and held his head. "Huh… Looks like the clone I left with Jiraiya finally dispelled. Anything worth noting, fox?"

 _ **"** **Just a spar over the nearby river. The seal held up though, so the clone didn't immediately dispel after the first hit. Although, don't expect this trick to last for too long. He's not an S-Ranked ninja for nothing."**_

"True… I better personally show up for the next couple of sessions. At any rate, I had a question."

 _ **"** **What?"**_

"How is it that I can understand fuinjutsu so easily? I've never done this before you had me take that notebook, so what gives?"

 _ **"Let me answer your question with another.** **Tell me, why do you think that red swirl you wear is also on the flak jackets and mixed into the Leaf symbol of your village?"**_

He blinked in total confusion. "Uh… Can I call a lifeline?"

 _ **"** **Idiot… The symbol is in fact that of the Uzumaki Clan and their village within the Land of Whirlpools. You weren't just given that last name by coincidence; you**_ **are** _ **an Uzumaki by blood."**_

"And you know this because…?" he asked, entering the seal and staring down the Bijuu.

 _ **"** **Because it was your mother and ancestor that held me the first two times before you did; your mother being my second Jinchuriki."**_

"M-Mother?!" Naruto's eyes widened with surprise and moved closer toward the cage. "Who was she? What was she like?" He started firing out question after question.

 _ **"** **Calm down, brat and let me finish. The Uzumaki were known for their proficiency with fuinjutsu, as well as their potent chakra and incredible life force; or longevity. Your mother, Kushina, had such a unique chakra that it gave her the ability to manifest it into chains that had enough power to bind me, a Bijuu with near limitless levels of chakra; and she did this while severely weakened."**_

"Kushina…" he whispered, savoring the sound of his mother's name and smiling at how amazing she was. "How was she weakened?"

The fox narrowed its eyes at its container. _**"Are you sure you wish to know?"**_

Naruto stared back at the Bijuu with a hint of desperation laced in his voice. "Please…I have to know..."

The vulpine beast sighed as one of its tails poked between the bars, the tip stopping inches from Naruto's forehead. _**"After this, you may have second thoughts about trying to get all buddy-buddy with me. You should know that before I show you what happened. Last chance to back out."**_

The desperation turned into determination and he nodded firmly. "Show me…"

With that, the tail tip poked his forehead and his vision went dark for a moment.

* * *

The following morning had Naruto seated on the rooftop of the hotel he and Jiraiya were staying at. The rising sun slowly illuminated his body as he looked downward with a thoughtful expression. Last night's revelation was quite the dropped bomb if he was putting it lightly.

How was he supposed to react to finding out that it was a man masquerading as Madara Uchiha that forcefully removed the fox from his mother? How was he supposed to take in the reveal that his parents gave up their lives for him and that the Fourth Hokage, his own _father_ , had been the one to reseal the fox for the third time and inside of him? It was a lot to take in; especially knowing that the mortal blow to his parents was dealt by the fox itself.

"There you are," commented a familiar voice that he didn't react to immediately.

"Jiraiya… I don't feel like training today… I've… I've got a lot on my mind," he said softly, cutting off the man from saying anything else.

The man stepped over to his student and sat down next to him. "I noticed. Care to share, or is this too personal?"

He gave the man a sidelong look with narrowed eyes. "What do you care? I'm just your 'bad student', right?"

That made the man cringe and sigh. "I shouldn't have said that back then… It was uncalled for and unfair to you when you've been trying so hard to get stronger. You were right, y'know." Turning to look at the Uzumaki, he continued, "I wasn't the best teacher for you. I left you on your own so much because it was how I trained Minato, believe it or not. He was able to get so far on his own that all I really needed to do was point him in the right direction."

"So what, am I supposed to just forgive you for assuming I was some genius ninja like he was? I'm not him, pervert; I've had to struggle at every turn to get to where I am, and even then it didn't feel like I truly got anywhere."

"I know… I should've noticed right away since I was like you when I was starting out. I always had trouble learning a new jutsu or skill that I was deemed a loser by many of my peers; especially Tsunade and Orochimaru. When I left you to your own devices, I expected another Minato, but instead I ended up making a second coming of myself before I became a Sannin."

"Gee, thanks," he retorted, voice dripping with sarcasm. "That makes me feel so much better." Naruto took another glance at Jiraiya before looking back down. "What made you think I was gonna be some prodigy ninja, anyway?"

"I thought that since you looked like him, you might have shared that same learning curve; that zeal to succeed in anything you put your mind to."

"So, because I looked like him, I was expected to grasp all that you taught me with just a pointer or two?"

"No, just…" The Toad Sage sighed heavily before mumbling lowly. "Why couldn't he have been more like you, Minato, instead of his mother?"

Unfortunately, Naruto heard him. "My mother?!" he asked, playing shock. "You knew my mother and you never told me?! What the hell, Jiraiya?!"

The man held up his hands placatingly. "Now listen, I didn't tell you because you weren't ready to know."

He quickly realized that was the wrong thing to say when Naruto, empowered with the Kyuubi's chakra, grabbed the front of his clothes and slammed him against the wall. Glaring at him with blood red orbs, he raged, "Wasn't ready…? Wasn't ready?! Where the fuck do you get off telling me when I am or not ready to learn about my parents?! Who the hell do you think you are?!"

"...Your godfather," he answered after a slight pause.

Naruto bared some fangs as his head lowered and his hair shadowed his eyes. Letting go of the man, he growled out, "Get away from me…"

Jiraiya sighed and left in a _Body Flicker_ , arriving at another rooftop with a frown. "That definitely could've gone better…"

Back with Naruto, he had entered his mindscape again and stood in front of the fox. "Damn perverted bastard…"

 _ **"** **I have to say that I didn't expect him to say he was your godfather. I thought the only link he had to you was teaching your father…"**_

He was pacing the flooded floors as he tried to calm down. "Doesn't anyone think I can handle whatever is connected to me? I bet the old man lied to me too whenever I asked about my parents!" In a spark of anger, he turned to the cage, eyes narrowed on the seal. He moved over to it, gripped the corner, and prepared to pull.

But a hand gripped his wrist and a male voice was heard. "I wouldn't do that, son…"

The statement brought him out of his angered state and he turned to the blonde man grabbing his arm. Recognizing him, he asked, "How are you here, dad?"

Minato smiled to his son and answered, "When I sealed the fox into you, I placed a portion of my chakra as well so that I could show up if you tried to take off the seal too early."

 _ **"** **Well, isn't this nice?"**_ mused the Kyuubi, staring down at the deceased Hokage with a careless expression. _**"I didn't think you'd be here or that I'd see you again, Fourth."**_

"I did this for my son, Kyuubi. It's not like I wanted to see you again."

Naruto cut in, "Dad, the fox has actually been helping me a lot in my life. It helped me-"

"Yes, I know. I was able to witness your life from the seal, and I can't tell you how sorry I am that you had to go through all of that. I'm also extremely disappointed in both sensei and Kakashi for not doing more for you when they should have," the man said with a frown. "I'm not here to do anything other than to tell you to be careful with what you're doing. Fuinjutsu is a dangerous art if you're careless, and I don't want to have you die when you still have so much to live for."

"You mean like how you want me to be this Child of Prophecy that you didn't live up to be? I'm not a hero, dad; I'm just Naruto Uzumaki…"

"No, you're not." He placed a hand on the teen's head, ruffling his hair with a warm smile. "You're my son, and I believe in you."

Naruto then felt two arms wrap around him from behind. "We both do, sweetheart," declared a woman's voice, making his eyes widen in shock.

Turning his head, he saw some stunning red hair and whispered in surprise, "Mom…"

She smiled at him and turned him around so that he could face her. "Look at you," she gushed. "Oh, my baby boy turned out to be so handsome!" She hugged him again and smirked at her husband, "He's much better looking than you were, Girly Boy."

Minato sputtered at the old nickname while Naruto and the Kyuubi both snorted in laughter. "Kushina!"

"Oh calm down, Minato. You know I'm just teasing." Stepping back from her son, she continued, "I'm glad to see that you're doing so well with fuinjutsu; even if old Fuzz Butt had to get you started."

 _ **"** **Would you rather I did nothing, woman?"**_ challenged the Bijuu.

"Of course not," she immediately answered. "I just wish he started learning out of interest and not as a last resort to get better. I swear, when that pervert kicks the bucket, I'm gonna kick his ass back to earth just so he can die again, ttebane!"

"...ttebane?" asked Naruto with a chuckle, making her blush in embarrassment. "Thank goodness I'm not the only one who has a weird tic, ttebayo."

She laughed at his own tic and hugged him again. "At least you got something from me. Although I kinda wish you got my hair…"

"Me too! It's an awesome color, mom!"

The woman smiled softly at her son. "Thank you… Did you know that there are three very special words I say only to the men who love my hair?"

"No. What are they?" he asked while Minato smiled and the Kyuubi smirked.

Leaning down, she kissed her son on the forehead and said, "I love you…"

Blushing, Naruto gave her a grin that she mirrored while Minato smiled at both of them.

"As much as I want this moment to last," he began, "I'm afraid that this reunion will be short-lived."

Naruto stepped back from his mother and looked at both his parents with confusion. "What do you mean?"

 _ **"** **What he means is that their chakra is fading. I can feel it filtering out of here as they talk to you."**_

"But I have so many things to ask them!" Tears began to well up in his eyes as he considered what would be the last, and only, time he would see or speak with his parents.

Smiling sadly, but knowingly, Minato approached Naruto and ruffled his hair. "I know this is hard to accept, son, but I want you to remember that your mother and I will always be with you. Also, I want to give you something before my chakra fully fades." Placing his hand over the seal on his son's stomach, the trio and the Kyuubi saw an orange flame glow from it and spread to his right arm all the way to his fingertips, leaving black markings all connected as a seal array.

Curious, Naruto asked, "What's this?"

"That, son, is the key to the seal holding back the fox. Since you and it are starting to connect further than your mother was able to," she huffed at her husband pointing out her shortcoming, "I figured you should have that."

"You think I'm ready? I mean...I'm not like you or mom, dad," he said, looking down. "I'm not a genius like you or a badass like mom…"

While she enjoyed being called a "badass" by her son, Kushina didn't like how critical Naruto was about his own skills. "Naruto, listen to me. Sometimes in life we get knocked down and have to fight our way back up. And sometimes those moments last for a long time; like for you." She crouched down and placed her hands on his shoulders, making him meet her gaze. "But, what makes someone a splendid ninja is not smarts or strength. What makes them splendid is them having the guts to stand up after getting knocked down, and to show the world that they're not to be forgotten. That's why I believe that _you_ are a splendid ninja, sweetheart." She grinned at him. "You're Naruto Uzumaki, remember?"

He smiled back at her through teary eyes as she pulled him into another embrace. However, as mother and son hugged, Naruto's parents began to fade; their bodies slowly becoming transparent to the eye. "Naruto," Minato began, getting his son's attention, "don't ever stop fighting for what you believe in. You carry our wills with you; so don't ever doubt yourself."

He nodded. "I won't, dad. Thank you for everything. I'll make you guys proud!"

Before he fully disappeared, he was heard saying, "I know you will…"

Kushina kissed her son's temple, pouring all of her love into it. "I'll see you again, Naruto; but don't you dare make me see you too early, ttebane!" she warned, trying to sound stern as she fought her own tears.

"Promise," he replied.

She smiled and finished, "Thank you for being our son, Naruto… I love you…"

She fully faded at that, and Naruto stared at where his parents had once stood with tears running down his face. Smiling, he wiped them away and said, "I love you guys too…"

 _ **"** **Well, that was awkward,"**_ the fox commented jokingly, ruining the moment but still making Naruto chuckle. _**"What will you do now?"**_

After finishing wiping away his joyful tears, he turned to the Kyuubi and the Bijuu saw determination blazing in his eyes. "Now, I keep training!"

* * *

Another month passed after his reunion with his parents and Naruto was finishing up another sealing array that was six feet in diameter. His _Elemental Reading Seal_ had sold for plenty of money to resupply his need for ink and scrolls. It helped that Gaara, now Kazekage of the Hidden Sand, had offered him a good deal for them.

Jiraiya had dropped Naruto off at the village while he met with a contact somewhere else in the Land of Wind. This was fine for Naruto since he wasn't particularly keen with being around the perverted hermit at all. Some time by himself was definitely needed after so many revelations.

Another thing that had been a success for the Kyuubi Jinchuriki was his book, _The Seven Trials_. It was greatly accepted and sold out after a week on the shelves. More copies were being made and distributed around the Elemental Nations, and Naruto was happily surprised when Koyuki had sent him a letter congratulating his success.

She even asked if he wanted her to bring it to her director for a possible film adaptation.

Right now though, he had just finished the sealing array and was inspecting his work. "Alright, the _Transportation Seal_ seems ready… If this works, we could probably establish better connections with the other Hidden Villages."

 _ **"** **I wouldn't get your hopes up, kid. For one thing, there's a very weak Cease Fire agreement between them, and for another, we don't know if this will work yet."**_

 _'Don't be so negative, Kurama!'_ admonished Naruto to his friend, having learned of the fox's name during the past month. _'You gotta think with the glass half full!'_

 _ **"** **Whether it's half full or half empty doesn't matter to me; it's just water in a glass."**_

 _'Let's see if you still believe that after this seal works!'_ challenged the Uzumaki before activating the array. Like many seals, it gave off the usual whitish-blue glow to show activation, and Naruto saw a small distortion begin from the array's center.

That's when things went wrong. The array turned an ugly black with a violet outline while the circular border of the array started to sprout jagged edges, making it look like a buzz saw blade. Then, the edges sprang upward and dived at him, making him gasp in shock and roll forward...right into the center of the array. As soon as he stopped moving, the edges linked together into a tall, cylindrical barrier of crisscrossing lines. As the barrier grew, it broke through the ceiling of the room he was staying in and caught the attention of the Hidden Sand ninja forces.

Arriving quickly were the Sand Siblings and a few of the village's ANBU. One of them made to step forward, but Gaara's sand was faster and tried to pierce the barrier, only to instantly break apart and disappear. "Don't make contact with it!" he warned everyone there. Staring down at his trapped friend, he saw the blonde breaking away into nothingness and whispered, "I'm sorry my friend…"

As soon as he said that, Naruto had finished fading away and the barrier collapsed in on itself, destroying all of the symbols in the array that had been made.

With Naruto, he found himself hurtling through a vortex of swirling light and he groaned in effort as he tried to move against its natural force, desperately inching his right hand towards the seal. _'Kurama!'_

 _ **"** **Kid, what the hell are you doing?!"**_

His fingertips finally reached the seal on his stomach, and he offer a smile to no one, even though the Bijuu knew it was for it. _'Remember me, my friend!'_ declared the Uzumaki before he made a twisting motion, opening the cage and ejecting the Nine-Tailed Fox from his chakra core. The Bijuu was sent hurtling back to where Naruto had entered the vortex while Naruto kept going, unaware of the red wisps of chakra reaching his body and altering it.

The last thing he knew was a bright light engulfing his vision, and then nothing.

* * *

 **1~ This is referencing the N64** _ **Paper Mario**_ **plotline**

 **And that's that! That's chapter one of this crossover!**

 **Before I continue, I want to give a HUGE thanks to my bud, DJexe for helping me plan and even type this story! You're awesome, man! *grins***

 _ **DJexe: Thank you, thank you. You're too kind. *formal bow***_

 **Now, as for the bashing on Jiraiya, let me ask you guys something: Was that two year trip really that beneficial? All that Naruto gained from it was a bigger** _ **Rasengan**_ **, basic knowledge on Genjutsu Dispelling, and refinement of what should've been basic knowledge. Jiraiya wasted two years of Naruto's potential growth to get him to try and focus on harnessing a Bijuu's chakra when said Bijuu had ZERO interest in offering said chakra. In short, Jiraiya was a terrible teacher who left Naruto with the shit end of the metaphorical training stick!**

 **What do you say, bro?**

 _ **DJexe: To be honest, looking back at everything Naruto showcased in the beginning of Part 2, his abilities seemed...lacking. Jiraiya could have at least taught Naruto about the trick behind the Shadow Clone since it's his signature move, like the Rasengan.**_

 **Glad someone agrees with me. Tell me what you guys think as you review! Hope you all enjoyed the premiere chapter and I hope to see you guys next time!**

 **pain17ification**


	2. Chapter 2: A Roguish Welcome

**Here comes the second chapter! ^_^**

 **As always, I don't own anything!**

* * *

 _Maelstrom and the Thousand Year Door_

 _Chapter Two: A Roguish Welcome_

* * *

Cerulean eyes blearily opened and a groan followed them from the lips of Naruto Uzumaki. He struggled to raise himself up to a sitting position, feeling incredibly disoriented from his accidental trip.

"Dammit," he grumbled, finally sitting up and rubbing the back of his neck. "How the hell'd the seal screw up? I had all of the correct symbols and placements…" He sighed before finally taking a look at his surroundings.

It was obvious that he was underground since he saw a cavernous ceiling above him and great stone pillars reaching from it to the floor. The stone itself was an ashy gray color, and there were broken pieces of rubble scattered around the area. Another thing he saw were steps leading up to a, possibly, eastern side exit while the other side's exit was on higher ground.

He himself was sitting on a circular pedestal with a large star symbol on it. Underneath the pedestal was a larger platform that was still circular in shape. He then looked behind him and saw a massive pair of maroon double doors that was probably half the height of the caged doors that once held Kurama. On the door itself were more star symbols; seven to be specific. Three on each door and one near the top that was perfectly split between the two.

"Weird," he muttered before finally finding the strength to stand up. He stumbled a bit, still feeling dizzy, but managed to stay up. He approached the door and took a closer look, eyes narrowed analytically. "No way is this just some fancy door…" He placed his palm on it, closing his eyes and trying to sense what was inside by pulsing his chakra. His brows furrowed when he felt nothing respond to his pulse.

Stepping back, he looked at the seven star symbols again, and his eyes narrowed further. Something about them felt strangely familiar to him, and he slowly reached into his back pocket for his notebook.

Opening it and flipping through a few pages, he was surprised when his story had seven star based spirits in it. "Seven spirits…" He looked back at the door. "Seven stars…" He then gained a look of utter confusion. "Am I in my book…?" Immediately, the idea was shot down with a shake of his head. "No, there weren't any massive doors like this in my book. But this is similar…almost in a spooky way."

Having seen enough, he turned to the eastern(?) side exit and stepped out. He walked to the edge of the platform he was on and was shocked to see a giant yellow block flushed with the edge. Raising a brow, he crouched and tapped it with a knuckle before hesitantly standing on top of it. When nothing happened, he relaxed and looked down, spotting some strange creatures that looked like green springs with buck teeth and eyes.

"I don't have time for this. I need to get to the surface," he muttered before spotting a large green pipe next to the block he stood on. Curious, he jumped off of it and looked at the opening. "What the hell is- WHOA SHIT!" he screamed as he was suddenly sucked into the pipe, feeling his body twist and stretch before being unceremoniously ejected from the obvious other end. "Urgh…" he groaned as he sat up and rubbed the back of his head. "That wasn't fun…"

Looking around, he found two smaller, yet still yellow, blocks blocking him in the small cave-in he arrived at. He gave the blocks looks of annoyance before he broke them with well-placed punches. Clapping his hands clean of the dust, he noted some steps to the east(?) and a water flow in front of him that was barricaded by the ground he was on and the southernmost(?) wall. There was also an exit directly to the west(?).

Ignoring the exit, he made for the steps, making sure to avoid the strange brown creatures that had two feet but no arms. _'They kind of look like weird mushrooms,'_ he mused as he approached another green pipe. _'Aw man…'_ he groused before sighing and letting it take him to its other end.

When he was ejected, he saw his was in a much more spacious area with a few other green pipe entrances, some weird flat platform that was somehow floating forward and backward in a timely manner, and one last green pipe that led straight up into pitch black.

"That must lead to the surface," he deduced. "Thank the kami. Now I can get out of this place."

Taking the pipe, he anxiously wondered what would await him on its other end.

* * *

Deep beneath the earth, through the strange maroon door and its many challenges, there was a tomb coffin that was surrounded by unlit candles. Inside of the coffin, something stirred as it felt a strange energy pulse all the way to its hidden chamber.

 _ **'** **What's this?'**_ asked the coffin's inhabitant curiously as it tried to sort out the foreign energy. _**'This power… It feels almost…alive. And it's strong…'**_ One could easily imagine the creature smirking in delight. _**'Very strong… I must have more… MORE!'**_

It struggled to free itself from its confines, much like it had done for a thousand years, but it was unsuccessful. This made the creature furious, for it had already grown fond of the strange energy; addicted to its power and essence.

 _ **'** **Wherever you are,**_ **whoever** _ **you are, I will find you and bathe myself in your power,'**_ swore the creature, and once again one could easily imagine its delighted look. _**'Perhaps I could sway them to my side. I could always use a…**_ **companion** _ **.'**_

The chamber echoed with its laughter, and if one was in there with the coffin, they would be able to hear a distinctly feminine tone. (1)

* * *

Once he reached the surface, Naruto took in the fresh(er) air of the town he found himself in, smelling the sea as he took in each breath. However, the town looked to be in a less welcome state, as he discovered by the pungency of the air he breathed. Sometimes, he really cursed his shinobi enhanced senses.

He looked up to the sun, seeing it slowly moving to the west and telling him that his guessed directions underground were correct (2). With a pleased smile, he made his way to what he assumed was the center of the town, taking note of those strange mushroom-like creatures along with anthropomorphic canine-like ones, mouse ones, and even humanoid ones that had mushroom-like heads.

He ignored their stares – having grown used to ignoring such things as he grew up – and focused on the gallows that was in the center of town. "Cheery," he commented sarcastically, taking note of how lawless this town was when he saw a green cloaked person zip by at high speed and pickpocket a random citizen. "What is this, a thief's haven?"

He took another breath of air and followed the scent of the sea, hoping there was a working port that could have a ship. Wherever he was, he didn't really feel like staying in this place for too long.

As he made his way there, he spotted someone selling, in their own words, _curios from around the world_. He eyed the merchandise, seeing nice lamps, fruits, plants, and even a weathered and rolled up parchment. He paused in his steps, eyeing the parchment curiously and wondering if it was a map. If it was, it'd be immensely helpful and show him where he was.

The problem was that he had no currency for whatever this place was since he saw the exchange was in gold coins. The only money he had was ryo, and he doubted it would mean _anything_ here. So, feeling a mix of guilt and desperation, he approached the seller's "shop" and easily took the parchment without anyone noticing. Or so he thought.

Unknown to him, the cloaked seller had a smirk on their face as they watched the Uzumaki leave. The young man gave off a strange essence, one that their master would certainly find worthwhile.

Back with Naruto, he sat on the empty docks of the port, not surprised in the slightest that there were no ships, and looked at the map in his hands. He had been correct in his assumption and saw that the town he was in was known as Rogueport. He also saw six distinct locations – one of them being a flying city of all things – and couldn't help but feel as if they were linked to the seven star symbols on that large door.

He was interrupted by a commotion a bit closer to town and he turned around to see another one of those mushroom-like creatures, this one distinctly female, backing away from a large man in black with a white "X" on his torso, a pair of purple pants and a purple horned helmet, slightly curl-tipped black shoes, a red cape that also covered the lower half of his face, and yellow rimmed goggles.

Next to him were no doubt two of his lackeys in similar attire, except their color scheme was mainly red and white with black "X" marks on their torsos. They were also noticeably smaller than the one approaching the girl.

"Hey, what do you want?!" she yelled to the man, giving Naruto the feeling she was a definite tomboy. "Get away from me, freak!"

 _'Yep, definitely a tomboy,'_ he concluded with a small chuckle.

The man took a menacing step closer to her with a growl. "Oh, come off it, you airhead!" he fired back, insulting her. "I know this is hard for you, but don't play dumb with me!"

 _'Okay now,_ that _was_ _uncalled for,'_ mused Naruto.

"I've seen you walking around town, asking for information about the Crystal Stars!" continued the man. "Well, now I'm the one doing the asking! So, be a good girl and tell us what you know right now!"

The girl had a fire in her eyes as she glared at him. "Never! I don't have anything to say to you freaks! Buzz off!"

The man chuckled at that while Naruto moved to stand in front of the small crowd that kept their distance. "I suppose it wouldn't be right if a sassy little lass like you met an untimely demise…" He chuckled again, but in a crueler tone. "Boys, we're taking this little firebrand back to the fortress!"

One of the lackeys saluted and said, "As you command, Lord Crump! We're on it!"

The three of them then moved closer, making the girl step back as some of the fire died in her eyes. Naruto saw fear taking its place and he scowled at no one making any moves to try and save her. With a growl, he chose to act.

Just as Lord Crump was about to grab the Goomba girl, he was suddenly hit by a dropkick from a teenager that came out of nowhere. With a cry of pain, he was pushed back and rolled a ways before crashing into a crate while his lackeys made to help him get back up.

The girl gaped at the kick and then looked up to see her savior. He was a humanoid dressed in orange pants with black sandals, a sleeveless black shirt with a red spiral mark on the back. His hair was spiky and crimson, reminding her of ecliptic solar rays since it shot in all directions. Around his waist and acting like a belt was a black cloth with a metal plate acting like a belt buckle. When he turned to face her, she saw that he had strange whisker markings on his cheeks and piercing blue eyes that made her unconsciously blush. However, the strangest thing about him were the two small horns sprouting from his forehead and the furry ears that poked out of his untamed hair.

"You okay?" he asked her, breaking her from her awed stare.

Nodding, she replied, "Y-Yea… I'm okay. Thanks."

He offered her a smile before turning back to Crump, and she saw that his left hand had a rolled up and worn out parchment in it. She eyed it curiously, as well as the black circular mark on his right palm, before turning back to see Crump getting up, but needing to lean on his lackeys to stay up. _'Wow… That kick must've really rattled that creep.'_

Crump glared at Naruto and growled out, "This doesn't concern you, brat! Now get out of the way so we can take this smartass girl with us!"

Thanks to Naruto's intervention, the Goomba girl regained the fire in her eyes. "Like I'd go anywhere with smelly lunatics like you! Not happening!"

The man looked furious, even with his face covered, and would've gave an order if Naruto didn't crouch down and place a hand on the girl before both of them left in a strange flicker of speed. "W-What the-?!" he shouted out in shock before he snarled. "Take me back to base, now!"

"Yes sir!" replied the lackeys as they carried their boss away.

* * *

In a second flicker, Naruto and the Goomba girl appeared on the wooden platform of the town's gallows. Her eyes swirled due to the disorientation, but she shook it off after a moment. "How did we…?" she began, looking at their new surroundings.

"You should be safe now," Naruto said. "Who was that guy, anyway?"

"I don't know. I was asking around about some old legend and then got cornered by that creep. But that's not important!" She gave him a fierce look, one that reminded him of Shikamaru trying to decipher something, and asked, "How in the heck did we suddenly arrive here from the docks, what's that paper you have, and who are you?"

He blinked at the triple threat question before he gave his reply. "In that order, I used a speed based technique to get us here, this paper in my hand is a map of the area," her eyes widened at that, "and my name is Naruto Uzumaki. And your name is…?"

She got over her shock and looked embarrassed at coming off as rude to the guy who just saved her. "Sorry about that. I've had a pretty hectic day. The name's Goombella, and thanks for saving me from the Crump guy."

Naruto got a better look at the girl. She had a pink skin tone with reddish cheeks, blonde hair tied in a ponytail beneath an archeologist helmet, complete with a light on it, and wore a brown shirt with a red scarf that was tied in the front. For a strange, to him, creature she was pretty cute.

"Don't mention it. I was actually doing what those other people should've done. No one should be harassed like that, y'know." She nodded gratefully. "Hey, would that legend you were asking around about have anything to do with some strange door that had seven star symbols on it?"

Her eyes widened and she got in his face. "You saw the Thousand Year Door?!"

Feeling awkward about his personal space being invaded, he gently pushed her back a couple of steps. "Too close; but yes, I think that's what I saw. Actually, I woke up in front of it."

"Wait, _woke up_? What do you mean by that?"

Now, here was a difficult situation for Naruto. As a shinobi, he was disciplined in secrecy and warned about just giving away information to just anybody. It was when he was told that he held Kurama by the late Third Hokage that he was also given this lesson.

However, he was far from home if that vortex of light and color had anything to say about it; let alone the strange inhabitants of wherever he wound up. For all he knew, there weren't any shinobi or ninja to worry about in terms of shared information. But, there were still some unsavory characters if that _Lord Crump_ and his lackeys had anything to support that logic.

But this girl, she didn't give off any kind of sinister vibe. If anything, she came off as excitable and naturally explorative about the world beyond the town she lived in. Plus, she knew about the door he had arrived in front of; so that had to count for something.

"Is there someplace private we can talk?" he asked after a moment of thought, making her tilt her head in query while her eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Look, I'm not planning to hurt you or anything like that. It's just that what I'm going to tell you will be hard to believe, and I don't really feel like having everyone else within earshot, y'know."

She took a quick look around and saw that some people ignored them while others were trying to be sneaky about eavesdropping. Turning back to him, she nodded. "I know a place, but it's my Professor's house. Are you okay with that?"

Sighing, since he was hoping for somewhere more discreet, he agreed. "Alright, but I want to see if I can trust him first. No offense to you, but I'm still a bit unsure about fully trusting you."

Using one of her feet, she waved him off. "Hey, I get it. This place isn't exactly one where you share secrets like everyday gossip. And while I really appreciate you saving me, I've never seen you here in town before. I mean, with your ears alone, I would've recognized you."

"My ears?" he asked in confusion before he felt his left one twitch. Reaching up, he didn't feel the fleshy texture of his natural ears. Instead, he had to actually reach a bit higher and felt fur, so he grabbed his left ear and pulled it down to see the tip of it looking very familiar. _'Kurama,'_ he noted in surprise before smiling fondly. _'Couldn't let me forget about you, could ya?'_

"If you're done fondling your ear," began Goombella, making him blush in embarrassment at her wording, "you should also know that you have a pair of horns too." She saw him immediately let go of the ear, which flicked back upward as he felt said horns. "Oh, come on! It's like you don't know your own body! What, do you not know about the mark on your hand, too?"

"Mark?" he asked in confusion before looking at his palms, taking note of the circle mark on his right palm. "What the hell…?"

"Man, you really didn't know about any of that, did you? Did you hit your head or something?" asked the Goomba incredulously.

"Probably…" He looked back at her and asked, "So, where's your Professor's home at?"

Smirking, she took the lead and guided him to the eastern side of town. She took note of Naruto looking at the warp pipe that led to the Rogueport sewers and mentally filed that for later. She stopped at the house next door to the famous Merlin's, opening the door to show a book filled home that had papers and reports scattered over the single desk and the floor. At said desk was another Goomba with a tan complexion, white hair, swirled glasses, and a white shirt.

"Professor Frankly," greeted Goombella as she and Naruto walked into the elderly Goomba's home. "I think I finally found something concerning the Crystal Stars!"

The Professor looked up from his notes and smiled at his protégé before regarding the redheaded humanoid with her. "I take it this young man has something to do with it?" He moved around his desk to stand in front of the Uzumaki. "Frankly, once a professor at U Goom and a mentor to archeologists the world over."

Naruto saw the respect in Goombella's eyes as she looked to the older Goomba, so he offered him a small bow in greeting. "Naruto Uzumaki. Nice to meet you, sir."

"Likewise. So, what exactly did my most recent student drag you to me for?" he asked with an amused smile.

"Professor!" shouted a scandalized Goombella. "I didn't _drag him here_!"

Naruto chuckled at the banter between the two. "Actually, I asked her for a place I can speak to her privately and she suggested your home." After seeing the Professor give him a look, the redhead raised his hands up placatingly. "I'm not going to do anything to her; I promise. I was just going to answer a few of her questions, and almost all of the answers require an incredible amount of discretion."

"I see," the elderly Goomba said before he went back to his desk. "Well, you should know that I'll find out whatever it is you tell my student; so you might as well say what needs to be said. But, I swear I won't speak of what's been said unless you let me. I understand the weight of secrets and mysteries, considering my profession in uncovering the unknown."

Sensing no lie or ill intent – something he figured Kurama had given to him – the Uzumaki nodded and took a seat on a stack of books. "To start things off, I'm not from this world; and yes, I mean world as a _whole_. I woke up in front of that door Goombella called the Thousand Year Door a couple of hours ago, but I was born and raised in a world known as the Elemental Nations…"

* * *

"Whoa…" gasped out Goombella while Frankly was taking notes. "I mean, everything that you said was just… Whoa…"

Naruto chuckled sheepishly at that. "That's actually a totally different reaction than what I was expecting. I thought you two would think I was crazy?"

Frankly chuckled at him. "We're archeologists, boy. We live for mysteries like this so that we can explore the lore about them. This world you came from is quite intriguing, and I only wish I could see it for myself. Just imagine the amount of legends I could research there!"

Naruto smiled at that, happy that the two Goombas had believed him. "So, now you know how I got here. If I wasn't worried about what would happen if I made a second attempt, I'd honestly be in the middle of making the seal that sent me here again. But, the first attempt cost me my home, a close friend, and my dream. I don't want to know what a second try will cost me."

"That's a good call. Best not to try again unless you're absolutely sure you can pull it off. From what you skimmed over, these sealing arts of yours are very intricate in their creation and decoding," noted Frankly. "However, if you don't mind, we'd greatly appreciate you taking us to the door you arrived in front of. If it really is the fabled Thousand Year Door, then that map you have is a crucial component to the Crystal Stars."

Naruto rose a brow in skepticism, pulling out the map in question. "This old thing? It's a faded map, and it has tears all over the edges. How could it help you?"

"You'll have to take us to the door so that you could see for yourself. Just trust me."

Naruto looked to both of them, and while Frankly was giving him a small smile it was Goombella's determined gaze that made him relent. "Alright… I already trusted you with my origins, so I guess taking you to some big fancy door isn't that big of a deal."

As he said that, the Professor smiled brighter while Goombella gave an excited whoop that she blushed at when she saw the amused expressions aimed at her. So, Naruto led them to the warp pipe and into the Rogueport sewers. Along the way, they had to deal with a variety of Goombas from the average to ones with spiked caps and to some with wings that strangely fell off of their bodies after a solid hit.

Goombella showed that she was no stranger to self-defense when she pulled off headbonks that rattled the brains of her kin. She was also surprisingly well-read on them, having a notebook on various kinds of creatures that tried to impede their progress.

When they had arrived back at the giant yellow block, Naruto was about to help them get on it, but Goombella found a blue switch that sunk into the ground after she hit it. It shocked the Uzumaki when a once solid wall had sections sink inward and form into stairs, but he didn't comment as he followed the two Goombas up the stairs.

Once on the large platform the stairs led to, Naruto saw a smaller one over the ledge that had a strange black key on it. Curious, he leapt down to grab it before leaping back up just in time to follow his companions into a small room. The room was empty save for a black chest that made Naruto stare at the key blandly.

' _You can't be serious…'_ he mentally deadpanned before he used the key to unlock the chest. Once he did, the room went pitch black and a pair of eyes and jagged mouth – both glowing an eerie yellow – formed from the darkness.

" _ **WHEEHEEHEEHEE!"**_ cackled a voice from the face. _**"You fools freed me without me even needing to ask! How stupid could you-?! ACK!"**_

It suddenly yelped in pain as Naruto punched the face with his right fist glowing with surprisingly golden chakra. He blinked at the chakra's color, not noticing how the face had disappeared and the color returned to the room. "That's weird… I never had gold chakra before…"

"THAT'S what concerns you?!" cried out Goombella. "Not the weirdo in the chest or how he was gonna do something to us?!"

"I've dealt with all kinds of weirdos; especially perverted ones. Seeing one come from a strange chest is like seeing a tree in the woods," waved off Naruto (3). "What concerns me is how my chakra changed its natural color. It's normally blue; not gold." He emphasized his point by calling chakra to his right fist, making it gain a golden aura.

"We can figure that out later," Frankly said, getting them back on track. "Could you get us to that doorway?"

"Yea, give me a sec," Naruto said as they got back to the block. Once again enshrouding his fist in chakra, he knocked once on the block, cracking it slightly, before punching and shattering it. From its rubble, a spring was revealed.

"Excellent work!" Frankly praised, using the spring to jump onto the higher ledge followed by Goombella while Naruto easily made the jump without the spring. Once they walked into the large room Naruto had woken up in, the Professor gasped and stared directly at the door. "My word, just look at it!" he exclaimed. "It's here; the Thousand Year Door! The legends were true all along! Quick, let's get closer!"

Showing a surprising amount of energy for a Goomba his age, the Professor raced over to the door followed by an equally excited Goombella while Naruto, not as enthused about the legend as they were, just walked casually after them. "So," began Goombella, "what do you think's up with that weird pedestal?"

"That's what I woke up on," Naruto noted before he felt a pulse from his pocket. He reached into it and pulled out the map, which gave off continuous pulses. Curious, he moved over to the pedestal and stepped on the star symbol.

As soon as he did, the symbol lit up blue and the map began to glow brightly while floating out and above his hands. While this happened, the larger circular platform was cleared of the dust over it, showing archaic symbols and seven distinct areas. The map then showed a castle with a tall tower and a diamond star floating over it.

After that, the flash died down, and a burst of power flowed through Naruto as well as the knowledge on how to use it (4). He gave the map a narrowed look before handing it to Frankly. "Extraordinary! We should take this back to my home!"

With that decided, the three headed back to the surface. After a moment to settle down in the cluttered home, Goombella asked, "So, what happened back there with all of the glowing lights and stuff?"

"Well, without a doubt that map Naruto took is related to the Crystal Stars and the Thousand Year Door," began the Professor. "Based on what it shows now, the map has been updated and has revealed the location of the first Star; the Diamond Star."

"But something else happened," Naruto cut in. "I felt this…power coming from the map, and these images of how to use it. I want to know what that was all about."

"Well, according to the legends, the one who has the map, can use it – along with the Stars – to perform incredible powers and abilities. You achieved one now, but I'd assume that each of the seven Stars grants you another power, for a grand total of eight."

"Wow… So, these Crystal Stars really _do_ exist?"

"I'd think that was made clear from the map showing that the first Star is in a place known as Petal Meadows, where Koopa Village is said to reside. It is said to be to the east of Rogueport, but I'm not entirely sure how you would get there."

"Well, what about a warp pipe?" suggested Goombella. "There're tons of them underneath the town, so one of them _has_ to get us to Petal Meadows!"

"She makes a good point," Naruto agreed. "I saw a lot of those pipes when I first explored those sewers. If Petal Meadows is east of this place, then we just need a find a pipe on the eastern side of the sewers."

"Well then, it looks like you two know what to do," concluded the Professor. "I'd say you best get moving."

"But what about those creeps I told you about?" the female Goomba asked.

Naruto turned to her and grinned confidently. "If they show up, then we'll just kick their asses! If that _Lord_ Crump was anything to go by, then they shouldn't be too hard to handle."

She remembered how easily Naruto had taken care of the supposed boss of those strangers, and the memory had her fighting back a laugh. So, she nodded in agreement and grinned back. "Yea… We can _totally_ kick their asses!"

Frankly chuckled at them. "Well, if that's the case then I have a request of you, Naruto."

"Sure, what's up?"

"Take care of my student for me. I know she can handle herself, but she's only one Goomba in a big world. Based on what I saw from you, you can help keep her safe."

Naruto turned to Goombella, who looked both embarrassed and grateful for the Professor's worry. Turning back to him, the Uzumaki said, "You got it, Frankly. And to make things better, I'll be sure to help her train and get even stronger than she is now."

"You will?" she asked in surprise, making him grin.

"Of course! I'm not gonna do all the work, y'know," he joked, making her roll her eyes. "But let me warn you now, you're gonna hate me when we get down to it."

"Pfft! Please!" she waved off confidently. "I can handle it, so bring it on, Whiskers!"

He gave her a deadpan look at the overused nickname. He had been called that by quite a few people back home; Anko, Tsunade, and even Ino to name a few. "You're gonna pay for that later…" he threatened blandly.

 _'Maybe that wasn't the best thing to say,'_ she noted with a nervous sweat, somehow knowing he'd follow through on his threat.

"Well, we better get going. See you, Professor!" bid Naruto as he walked out of the home.

Frankly turned to his student and smiled. "Be careful out there. And I don't mean just for yourself."

"Then what do you mean?" she asked. "If you mean Naruto, then I doubt he really needs to be careful."

"As much as I acknowledge how strong and resourceful he is, based on what he told us, even he will need help on the quest. And that's where you come in. You both are partners in this, so be sure to look for him as he does for you."

She felt a small weight come down on her, thinking about the responsibility she will have. "Man… I never really thought I'd go on an adventure like this. I'm so nervous…but I'm stoked too!"

"And so was I on my first excursion. Oh, before I forget," he handed her a bag that held a few mushrooms and jars of honey. "Use these in case you or Naruto need them to restore your strength. There aren't inns or rest stations everywhere, after all."

"Right. Well, wish us look Prof. Frankly!" she exclaimed in excitement as she raced outside after Naruto.

Smiling at the closing door, the archeological Goomba said aloud, "Good luck."

* * *

Back in the sewers, Goombella and Naruto headed eastward towards an arched pathway. It was on a higher ledge, so Naruto had to carry his partner as he made the jump up there. Once the two stepped through the archway, the approached a waterway that had a pale tentacle resting on the cement they stood on.

"Huh, there's something you don't see every day," noted Naruto before he turned to her questioningly. "Or do you?" At her bland look, he shrugged. "What? You forget, I'm not exactly a native here."

Rolling her eyes, she deadpanned, "No, we don't see tentacles poking out of the water every day. If I had to guess, that belongs to a Blooper."

"Uh… A Blooper?" he asked, almost face palming at the weird name.

"Yep." She looked behind the tentacle, noting the distance between the cement they stood on, and the cement surrounding a stone gray warp pipe. "Look, I know you said you can do stuff like walking on water, but how about we take care of this Blooper so that he can get off of the water platforms?"

"You sure?" he asked for clarification. At her firm nod, he shrugged before casually kicking the tentacle, bruising it and making it twitch.

It kept twitching before it sunk back into the water and a large, pale squid-like creature burst from the water, releasing the platforms it was weighing down. It glared angrily at them, making annoyed sounds and showing its new bruise.

"Hey look buddy, I could've just walked around you, but she," Naruto jabbed a thumb at Goombella, "told me to get ya to move." The Blooper glared directly at her now, making her sweat nervously and give an awkward chuckle. "So, if you don't mind moving so we can get to warp pipe behind ya, that'd be great."

The Blooper had several tic marks appear on its head and it swung at them with its two tentacles, making Goombella squeak in fright while Naruto sighed.

"I was hoping you wouldn't do that…" he grumbled before he disappeared in a flicker of speed, dropping a heel kick directly on the head of the Blooper. The strike nailed the squid, making a massive bump form and tears sting its eyes before it swam off with a whimper. "Dammit… Now I feel like an asshole."

"You should, you jackass!" cried Goombella. "What the hell was that, placing all of the blame on me?!"

"Well, it was _you_ that told me to get him to move instead of just carry you across the water," pointed out the Uzumaki with a smug grin.

"But I- I mean, you- But that's- AUGH! FINE!" she yelled, grumbling in defeat with an embarrassed face.

Naruto chuckled at that. "Relax, I was just teasing ya. Let's get moving, yea?"

"Fine… But you're still an asshole," she said, wanting to get the last word. All Naruto did in response was chuckle, taking the insult in stride as he and Goombella took the warp pipe, going after the first Crystal Star of their journey.

* * *

 ** _'So_** , _ **the one with that intoxicating power has the map I had Bedlam find,'** _ noted the being trapped within the coffin. _**'Interesting. I hope they find those accursed Stars soon. I'd love to see just who it is that has me so interested.'**_ A feminine chuckle, dark and cruel, was heard echoing throughout the chamber. _**'Perhaps I may finally find the**_ **companion** _ **I've been searching for. Hmhmhmhmhmhmmm…'**_

* * *

 **1~ Can anyone guess who that is? *grins***

 **2~ In the** _ **Paper Mario**_ **games, I always thought that left was West, right was East, and forward and backward were North and South respectively. So, I applied that thought process to this story!**

 **3~ That's right! I just had Naruto cut off the Curse Guy! C'mon, does someone with ninja training** _ **really**_ **need "curses" placed on him?**

 **4~ Since the game never explained exactly** _ **how**_ **Mario could use the powers granted to him by the Map and Crystal Stars, I had to come up with a cop out method. Thus, he learned through mental implanting and visions!**

 **And there's the second chapter for you guys! I hope you're enjoying it so far!**

 **As for Naruto's new look, Kurama used his chakra to both leave a last impression on the first human he could call friend and awaken the link between him and the Ōtsutsuki bloodline. So, he got ears from Kurama, horns from Hagoromo (and Kaguya) Ōtsutsuki, and finally the Sun Mark and golden chakra from his link to Ashura Ōtsutsuki!**

 **How are you liking how Naruto interacts with the world and characters around him? Does it seem believable? I want Naruto to be realistic in this story, sticking relatively close to how he is naturally in his canon storyline. I hope I'm doing a good job!**

 **Until next time!**

 **pain17ification**


	3. Chapter 3: A Fox Among Petals

**What's up? ^_^**

 **Here comes the third chapter!**

 **A little warning ahead of time – in case you guys weren't aware beforehand – this story is Rated M. That means you should expect some explicit language, violent acts/scenes, and eventual sexual content; ALL of which are not normally heard in** _ **Nintendo**_ **games.**

 **Just wanted to clear that up.**

 **Thank you!**

 **As always, I do not own anything!**

* * *

 _Maelstrom and the Thousand Year Door_

 _Chapter Three: A Fox Among Petals_

* * *

As soon as Naruto and Goombella exited the other end of the pipe, they found their surroundings to be that of a vast meadow with rolling hills, some old fences, and plenty of grass and trees. Flowers poked out of the ground in various locales, reminiscent of stars in the night sky.

"Whoa," the Goomba girl gasped out. "This place is so…beautiful. I never thought I'd ever see so much green in one place before."

Naruto flexed his fox ears and took a deep breath of the fresh air that the meadows provided him. "I missed this so much," he commented, a serene smile on his face. "The smell of nature, the gentle breeze, the warm sun… It reminds me of home…"

Goombella turned to her new friend with a concerned look. "You gonna be okay?"

He turned to her with his smile still in place. "Yeah… I'll be alright. Just feeling a bit homesick."

Her concern didn't lessen. "I know you told me and the Professor about where you came from, but if you need someone to talk to, just know that I'm ready to listen."

She noticed that he was now giving her a more genuine smile. "Thanks. Now, we should focus on getting to Petalburg. Someone there should know something about the Crystal Stars."

"Right," she agreed as the duo made their way down the dirt road that had been made over time thanks to travelers.

The path passed by a large stone in the shape of a carved dome that had two smaller ones next to it. One of them had a sun shaped hole on its face while the other had a moon shaped hole. It was obvious to the two adventurers that the two holes needed to be filled for something. However, whatever would happen afterwards was still unknown.

So, they ignored it for now and pressed on. They passed by a few Goomba thugs that were out to rob travelers of their goods, but they weren't a real problem for the duo. Though, Goombella was noted to be jotting down some details in a small green book that she had in her pack. Once she had finished, he saw her place a label marked "Enemies" on it.

" _Enemies_?" he asked, raising a brow.

"For reference," she answered, as if it explained everything. The smile she gave with her answer only supported how she felt on the subject.

Shrugging, he decided not to argue with the spunky Goomba girl. Everyone had a hobby, so he wouldn't judge. "You mind if I look through it after you fill it up some more?"

"Go ahead. I'd like a second opinion on my notes."

Sharing a small laugh, the two pressed on. The breeze that swept through the meadow felt very pleasant to them both, brushing through their hair in a soothing way. The smell from the flowers only made their walk more enjoyable, and they found themselves strolling rather than walking as they neared the main gate of Petalburg.

Greeting them was a green-shelled, anthropomorphic turtle with matching shoes and humanoid hands. Quietly, she informed him, "That's a Koopa. Just like Goombas, Koopas are one of the most common people in our world."

He nodded in thanks just as the Koopa approached them with a smile. "Welcome travelers. It's always nice to have visitors come and see our lovely town. May I ask the reason for your visit?"

Naruto decided to let his partner explain what was going on since she knew more about the Crystal Stars than he did. "We're looking for something. Have you, or anyone here, ever heard of something called a Crystal Star?" she asked. "It's very important that we find it."

The Koopa took a moment to ponder the question. "The only person in town who might be able to help you would be Mayor Kroop. He's the oldest Koopa here in Petalburg, so he's no doubt heard of lots of different things."

"Could you tell us how to find him, please?" Naruto asked politely.

"Sure. He lives in the house made of pink bricks. You can't miss it."

Both adventurers sweatdropped at the description of the house. They couldn't understand why an elderly male Koopa would find a pink house appealing. But they dropped it in favor of thanking the Koopa before they set off looking for the house.

As they walked, the two took some time to appreciate the beauty that Petalburg had to offer. It was open-spaced with homes placed respectively away from one another so that they all had a nice patch of grass and meadow around their home. Koopas, Toads, and even a silver colored Bob-omb with a black moustache and an official hat on his head.

"He looks important," the whiskered teen noted.

"He is," confirmed Goombella. "That's General White. He's in charge of the Bob-ombs that are enlisted in the army and holds the highest rank in their military. My guess is that he's here on some kind of vacation."

Naruto hummed in response before seeing a building that had a red flower with black eyes posted in the front. Curious, he walked towards it and stepped inside, spotting a Toad running a checkout station and stocked shelves full of merchandise.

"Welcome! I haven't seen you two here before. Might I interest you in our current sale? Buy one Fire Flower, get one half off!"

 _'Fire Flower?'_ mused the blonde as he let the Toad show him what exactly it was. It was the same flower that was posted outside the shop, though these ones had roving eyes that blinked at him.

One of the flowers even gave an eye-smile similar to how Kakashi used to.

Goombella once again explained, "Those flowers are pretty awesome. What you do is plant them in the ground and then they instantly grow in size before releasing a bunch of little fireballs! Although, once they're all spent, then they wither up and die."

He blinked at that, imagining the look on Ino's face if a plant like this existed in the Elemental Nations. No doubt she'd flip out about it. "How many coins do we have?"

The Goomba girl checked her bag, pulling out their money pouch and quickly doing a count. "We have…43 coins left."

The Toad then spoke up, "Fire Flowers are usually 8 coins, but with the sale you can get two of them for 12 coins."

Naruto grinned and held out his hand, making Goombella roll her eyes with an amused smile before tossing him the pouch of money. Pulling out the necessary coins, Naruto paid the Toad and grabbed two Fire Flowers before putting them in his ninja pouch. The two then thanked the Toad for the sale before leaving the shop to resume looking for Mayor Kroop's pink house.

Along the way, they overheard gossip concerning a large dragon of all things that was called Hooktail. Most of the rumors portrayed the dragon as fierce, terrifying, and gluttonous; eating anything and anyone it wants to. It wasn't until a rumor about it having a castle was heard that the two adventurers turned to one another.

"…Wasn't there a castle close to that pipe we came here from?" Naruto asked.

"I-I think so," Goombella answered, sounding nervous before she put on a brave face. "But there's no need for us to go there! I bet that the Crystal Star is nowhere _near_ that castle!"

Naruto hummed at that before giving a nod. "Yeah… I'm sure we'll be alright."

They kept walking before a blue-skinned, canine-like humanoid dressed in eccentric white clothes and a purple afro stepped into their path (1). "Ah! Bonjour, mademoiselle! It is a beautiful day, no?" he greeted, speaking with a heavy accent. Before they could speak, the man continued, "No, no, no, no, no. Not you, Monsieur Fox. I am speaking to the lovely little cabbage behind you."

By this point, Goombella was slowly turning green at the flirty look the odd man was giving her. Meanwhile, Naruto felt like he got off lucky knowing eccentric people like Guy-sensei and Rock Lee before coming to this place.

"What do you say, my pretty? Abandon this dullard and come away with moi."

Fighting the urge to hurl, the sassy Goomba fired back, "Ew, are you kidding me? No way! Nice wig, you disco wannabe!" Naruto fought a snort at that. "Take a hike, Bozo the Dork!"

The Uzumaki was struggling not to laugh at this point while the flirty man held his chest as if he'd been wounded.

"Oh! Sacre bleu! Such brutal honesty! Such a sharp tongue!" Moving aside, he added, "I will retreat for now; but if you change your mind, cheri, come and find me!"

The two took their opportunity to walk away far enough for Goombella to finally hurl into some bushes. "Ugh… What a total sleaze ball…" she groaned out, still feeling disgusted by the man's flirting.

"Well, at least you only used words," Naruto joked awkwardly, remembering how Sakura would reject him verbally _and_ physically whenever he asked her out. He gave his partner a minute to compose herself before they spotted the pink brick house they were looking for.

Knocking politely, the two entered and saw a very old Koopa with thick white brows that hid his eyes and an equally thick goatee. He had green skin, a darker green shell, brown shoes, and a wooden cane. _'This has gotta be Mayor Kroop,'_ they both thought.

However, before they could greet him, he beat them to it. "Huh? Whuzzat? Is someone there?" he began before immediately continuing. "Who is it? WHO?! What do you want from me?"

"Sir, if you'll just let us-!" Goombella started to say, but she was cut off.

"I know! You're thieves here to rob a defenseless old Koopa! How despicable!"

"Look, old timer, we're not here to-!" Naruto tried, but they were again cut off/

"Go on, then! Do what you will! But, as you can plainly see, there's nothing to steal here!" He then looked thoughtful for a moment as he murmured, "Well, I guess I have a little money… Take it then, you fiends! And my antique shell, too!"

Naruto face palmed at the situation while Goombella wished she had a hand to do the same.

"Just leave the photos of me and the missus. I can't do without those memories…"

"Dammit, we're not thieves!" Naruto cried out in frustration.

"What? Not thieves, you say?" Kroop asked back in surprise. "Well, what's your story then? You folks looking for the Crystal Stars, or something?"

The duo blinked at the accurate guess. "Um… Yes, that's exactly why we're here!" Goombella answered quickly, speaking loud so the old Koopa could hear them.

"Well, why didn't you pipe up before, you ijits?!" the Mayor asked back, showing his own frustration while Naruto and Goombella had tic marks at the insult. "We're just wasting time here!" They sighed at the obviousness of his exclamation. "Now, those Crystal Stars you're looking for… What did I hear about those darn things, again?" He hummed in thought for a moment before perking up. "Aha! I remember now. HOOKTAIL! Hooktail's got what you're looking for up in that there castle back west!"

Both adventurers tensed before groaning in sync. "Dammit all…"

"Seriously?" Goombella added. "Why'd it have to be there?"

"So, are you reckless fools- Uh, I mean _gallant heroes_ off to rough it up?" Kroop asked out of the blue.

"What? Now, hold on!" Naruto began, but he was cut off once again.

"That sounds promising! Why, if you two would rid us of Hooktail, we'd shower you with gratitude and rewards!" He then held up a hand to his wrinkled ear and asked, "What's that? You say you'll take no reward?"

"We didn't say that!" Goombella cried out.

"What generous folks you two are! Noble, indeed! Now, what did you say your names were again?"

Sighing, the Uzumaki answered, "I'm Naruto, and this is Goombella."

"Nato? Hmm… That's a fine name!"

"No, not NATO! Na-ru-to! Say it with me, old man!"

"Yes, these ARE nice eyebrows! Thank you for the compliment, Nato! Now, if you two really intend on going after Hooktail, you need to find the secret pipe near this village. But, to do that, you'll need two very important keystones that are protected in a fortress to the east. Shhwonk Fortress, to be exact."

"The hell's a Shhwonk?" Naruto asked Goombella.

"A stone creature with a big temper and harder head than its body," she deadpanned.

"Super…" sarcastically cheered the Uzumaki.

"Well then, Nato, Becca…"

"It's NARUTO and GOOMBELLA!" the Goomba gal cried out, but Kroop didn't hear her.

"You two had better get going if you wanna take care of Hooktail and get that Crystal Star! Best of luck to you both!"

"Sure… Thanks, old man," Naruto replied dryly as he and his partner left his home and headed for the eastern gate. A Koopa tried to stop them, but once he heard that the Mayor gave them permission, he opened the gate for them.

"Um… Excuse me!" a nervous voice called out as soon as the gate opened, prompting Naruto and Goombella to turn around and see a Koopa with yellow skin, a green shell, and a bandage strip on his nose. He was dressed in a light blue collared shirt, darker blue pants, and white shoes. "Pardon me for yelling like that… I was, uh…panicking."

 _'He has confidence issues,'_ Goombella noted.

"Um… How do I begin?"

"The _beginning_ is usually the best place to start," joked Naruto, trying to help ease the Koopa into what he needed to say.

"W-Well, my name's Koops. I heard that you're traveling to Hooktail's castle."

 _'How'd he find that out so quickly?! We JUST left the old man's house!'_ Naruto freaked out mentally, but looked calm on the outside.

"So, anyway… I uh…had a favor to ask…"

There was a _very_ awkward pause that lasted more than a few seconds.

"…Well, uh… J-Just forget it. Never mind." He was back-stepping with every comment. "Ignore me. Goodbye." And with that, he hurried off nervously and entered a home before Naruto's fox ears picked up the sound of the door locking.

"Oooooookay… THAT was weird," Goombella noted.

"Whatever he wanted to talk about must really be bothering him," Naruto mused. "We'll talk to him when we get back from the Sshwonk Fortress with those keystones."

"If you say so. I doubt it'll be any different than this time."

"You doubted we'd need to go to Hooktail's castle, too; remember?" deadpanned the Uzumaki, making Goombella sweatdrop.

"I was hoping you'd forget that."

"Not on your life, Bella."

She blinked at the nickname before noticing that it sounded…nice coming from her partner. So, she didn't comment on it as they left Petalburg. As they walked into some woods, the Goomba checked out the map and noted, "It'll take us at least a day to reach the fortress, and another day to get back to Petalburg. Do we have enough food?"

Unsealing their bag of supplies, Naruto looked through them and estimated how long they'd last. "We'll need to restock when we get back, but we should be okay for the round trip. In the meantime, I say we get started on your training."

"Really? Right now?"

"No time like the present. Now, I need you to turn around so I can lift up your shirt."

 _*WHAM!*_

"Pervert!" she cried out, her cheeks blazing red. "I-I-I'm not gonna strip for you!"

Rubbing the red mark left by her headbonk to his face, he answered calmly, "I just need to draw a _Resistance Seal_ on your back. It'll help your physical training."

"…JUST my back?" she asked with narrowed eyes while her blush remained.

"Promise," he swore with a hand to his heart.

Her blush didn't lessen and she slowly turned around for him. "…Make it fast, okay?"

"Sure thing," he replied before unsealing his fuinjutsu equipment and prepping the ink. With his free hand, he lifted up the back of her shirt and exposed her pink skin, unaware at how her cheeks turned redder once again.

She shivered at the feel of the ink brush and cold ink against her skin. It tickled her and almost made her squirm, but he gently held her in place so as not to mess up his seal work. "H-How much longer?"

"Just one…more…stroke," he said as he finished. "There we go." Her shirt was lowered again, letting her turn back around to face him with an awkward aura in the air; one that he was oblivious to. "Okay, so the way the seal works is really simple. Once I activate it, your body will feel pulls against what you're trying to do. Kinda like if you were moving through water."

"Makes sense," she replied, her blush fading in favor of focusing on his explanation. "Is the point for me to get used to the resistance so that, when it's deactivated, I can move easier?"

"Got it in one," he praised with his signature grin, making her blush return faintly. "Whenever I see that you need it inactive, I'll do so. Later on, I'll come up with a way for you to deactivate the seal on your own; which will be a bit difficult since you don't have a chakra network."

"Could you explain more about chakra to me? I'm interested in how it works."

"Sure, but I'm not exactly the best guy to ask about it."

She deadpanned, "You're the _only_ guy I _can_ ask about it…"

Sweatdropping, he murmured, "Oh yeah…"

He would never live down how stupid he felt at that; especially with his new friend laughing hysterically at him.

* * *

A day of travel passed by rather quickly for the duo. They wound up having to deal with some thuggish Koopa Troopas and Goombas that were hoping to steal some of their coins. The fights were a great way for Goombella to get used to the seal on her back and get some training in while Naruto just used them as exercise.

Along the way, they passed through some smaller forts that had a couple of newer enemies. The first had a pair of Bald Clefts, which looked like stone faces with feet; that's it. Their more solid bodies made physical attacks tougher to deal out, but Naruto enjoyed the restrictive challenge he was giving himself. Sure, he could've used jutsu; but where was the fun in that?

The second fort had a pair of Bristles, which had steel bodies that were covered in sharp spikes; though their bodies looked worn and rusted in some spots. Getting in close was a bad idea since they were able to extend their spikes outward for a more proactive defense. It was a pain to deal with, so Naruto moved things along by weaving through their extended spike and doling out a chakra enhanced punch that blasted them through the gates.

On a side note, he found out that his new golden chakra was _much_ more potent.

Now, they had arrived at the Shhwonk Fortress, and they found themselves in a single, open room that had a human-sized stone face on the other end that rested on a pedestal.

"Better wake him up," Goombella suggested. "He'll just keep snoozing and ignore us unless we do."

Shrugging, the Uzumaki stepped up to the Shhwonk and knocked on its face. "Yo! Wake up, buddy!"

Deep chuckling came from him as he opened his eyes. _"You two are the first contestants I've had in a while!"_

"Contestants?" the duo repeated, looking to one another in confusion.

 _"I take it you're after the keystones if you came all the way to this fortress?"_ They nodded. _"Well then, you must compete against ME for them! If you win, you can have them. But, if you lose, you'll suffer a terrible fate! Are you ready?"_

"Bring it!" Naruto declared defiantly, Goombella nodding with a similar expression.

 _"You're in for it now!"_

To the surprise of the adventurers, the room shifted and broke apart before reforming into a stage of what could only be described as a game show. They were behind a stand that held a buzzer while the Shhwonk was still on his pedestal, but he now sported a polka dot bowtie just under his mouth.

 _"Alright then ladies and germs! Welcome to the 65_ _th_ _Super Fun Quirk Quiz!"_

"SAY WHAT?!" Naruto cried out comically, his eyes just as comically white and wide to show his distress.

Goombella sweatdropped at his face before she sighed and bumped him off the stage. "I'll handle this," she stated, more than confident in her ability to win.

 _"Five correct answers get you the win! However, three incorrect ones insure your defeat! Here's the first question: What's hidden in this place?"_

Hitting the buzzer, the female Goomba answered, "The keystones."

 _"Correct! But that was an easy one! The next ones will be harder; much harder! Question Two: What do one Mr. Softener and one Fire Flower cost at the Petalburg Shop in TOTAL?"_

"16 coins."

 _"Seriously?! How did you know that?! Grr! Onto the third question: What is the name of the Mayor of Petalburg?"_

Naruto face palmed at the easy question while Goombella answered, "Mayor Kroop."

 _"Oh, come on! Three in a row?!"_ the Shhwonk raged. _"Let's see you get THIS one! Question Four: Where is the Diamond Crystal Star?"_

"Hooktail's Castle."

 _"What in-?! How did-?!"_ In growing fury, the Shhwonk let out a roar before the notecard in front of him were sent scattering. _"Alright then; no more freebies! Fifth question: Who's father tried to battle Hooktail and wound up missing?"_

"…Uh…" Goombella drawled out, wracking her brain for any sort of answer.

 _*Bzzt!*_

Naruto wound up hitting the buzzer and answered, "Koops! It was Koops' father!"

Silence reined for a moment before a fanfare played and the Shhwonk looked like he might've gotten a hernia; which was surprising since it was only a stone with a face.

 _"That was…correct…"_ he murmured in shock, disbelief flooding his voice. _"How did you…?"_

Naruto ignored him and cheered at getting the last question correct while Goombella was just as surprised as the Shhwonk. "Alright, Stony, hand over those keystones!"

 _"Good luck getting out alive with them!"_ the Shhwonk retorted in fury, using his control over the fortress to have the floor cave in and send the duo falling into an underground cavern that was cold, wet, and had a water level up to Naruto's ankles. _"Enjoy finding a way out, suckers!"_

"You son of a bitch!" Naruto roared up to the Shhwonk, prepared to leap up and give it a well-deserved _Rasengan_ to the face.

"Naruto, he's not worth it," Goombella cried, stopping her partner from doing something reckless. "The keystones are down here, but there are also lots of Fuzzies in this place."

She gestured to the black fuzz balls with wild eyes and sharp teeth that were bouncing around, trying to be sneaky.

"Let's just deal with these pests, grab the stones, and get the hell out of here. I'm freezing!"

Sighing, Naruto calmed himself down and nodded. "Fine… Hop on my back and I'll take care of the Fuzzies with my clones."

"Clones?" she repeated, hopping up like he requested and being held there with one arm. Her eyes widened when she saw half a dozen copies of her friend appear when he made a gesture with his free hand. "What the shit?!"

"Language, Bella," playfully admonished the Uzumaki.

"You try to watch _your_ language after seeing something crazy like that!" she exclaimed while the clones dispersed and the sounds of Fuzzies being knocked around echoed all around them. "You never told me about making clones when you were explaining chakra yesterday!"

He chuckled sheepishly at her accusation. "Sorry… I didn't think it was all that important."

The deadpan look she gave in response made his sheepishness turn into awkwardness.

"Sorry…"

"Idiot…"

"Boss! We got them!" a clone called out, walking towards them with another clone while they both held the keystones that were shaped like a sun and moon.

"I found a way out of here, also, Boss!" another clone yelled, his voice echoing from deeper into the cavern.

Grinning, the original had his clones seal away the keystones and dispel before he carried his partner towards the exit. "First step done! Next step…"

"Find a way into Hooktail's Castle," finished Goombella, growing excited despite the obvious danger. "Then, we storm the place, kick some dragon butt, grab the Crystal Star, and get the hell out of there!"

"Sounds like a plan, ttebayo!"

"… _ttebayo_?" she repeated, a teasing look on her face.

He blushed at his verbal tic, saying nothing as the Goomba he was carrying snickered at his expense.

* * *

Turns out, the exit his clone found was a hole that had been covered by a large rock just outside of the Shhwonk Fortress. Naruto was about to eagerly pay back the bastard that tricked him and his friend, but Goombella was having none of that and bonked him on the head; her helmet saving her from collateral damage.

With a scolding look, she cowed him into dropping the issue. The look changed into amusement when she saw him sulking the whole trip back to Petalburg; even as they rested for the night.

When they finally made it back, it was like a breath of fresh air had filled their lungs. The atmosphere of the peaceful village made the trip seem like a distant memory, and they took the time to relax and resupply before heading out the main, western gate.

Not even a couple of feet out the gate, they were stopped by a familiar, nervous voice. "Um… Excuse me…?"

Looking ahead, they saw that it was…

"Koops!" greeted the Uzumaki with a grin, surprising the Koopa. "Good to see you. You get everything sorted out, yet?"

Strangely for Koops, the cheerful aura of the fox-eared teen before him made his nerves ease up. With a small nod, he replied, "Y-Yes, I think so."

"Glad to hear it. So listen, I heard that your dad tried to take on Hooktail." He ignored the surprised look Koops gave him. "I figured that talking about Hooktail brought up some unwanted memories, and I don't mean to bring them up. But, if you want to tag along with us and give that overgrown lizard the ass-kicking it deserves, then you're more than welcome to!"

"Really?/Seriously?" the Koopa and Goomba both asked respectably.

"Absolutely! The more the merrier!" the outlandish ninja answered. "If I were in your shoes, I'd be wanting a chance to get back at that dragon too. So, what do you say? You in?"

Goombella looked unsure about her friend's offer; but after sharing a glance with him and seeing his insistence on it, she backed down. A part of her understood what he was doing for the unsure Koopa, and she respected that. It would be some needed closure for him after everything that had happened.

For Koops, he couldn't get over how easy it was to be allowed to join. Not wanting to give the redhead a chance to rethink the offer, he nodded eagerly. "Yes! Please, I want to come with you!"

Grinning, the Uzumaki offered a hand to shake and declared, "Then welcome to the team! I'm Naruto, and this is my friend Goombella."

"Nice to have you join us," she greeted politely with a small smile. It would do well to be nice to their group's newest member.

The Koopa shook Naruto's hand and replied, "Thanks for this. I-I promise not to slow you down!"

"I know you won't. Now, why don't you go talk to that girl behind us? She looks pretty concerned for you."

Looking over Naruto's shoulder, Koops saw his girlfriend, Koopie Koo, standing at the gate and giving him a worried glance. Excusing himself politely, he went over to talk to her, leaving Naruto and Goombella to wait for him.

"You sure about this?" the Goomba gal asked. "I mean, we can take Hooktail ourselves, right?"

"Maybe; but having another teammate wouldn't hurt. Besides, he needs this. Not to sound racist, but he needs to break out of that shell of his."

She snorted at the truthful pun. "Yeah, that's for sure. Well, if you're sure about this, then I'm with you."

"Thanks, Bella," he replied with a smile, making her turn away with a small blush.

"N-No problem…"

They then noticed Koops walking back to them, taking one last moment to turn and give Koopie a determined look. The three of them saw her give a small smile in return; one that did little to hide her worry. Her gaze turned to Naruto and she called out, "You better bring him back to me, buster!"

Chuckling at the care she had for the shy Koopa, he nodded and gave her a Nice Guy pose. "Promise!" He then turned around and started down the road towards the castle, Goombella and Koops in tow.

Back at the gate, Koopie held her hands to her chest – just above her heart – and whispered to the wind, "Be careful, Koops…"

* * *

 **1~ I just couldn't resist bringing this guy in! This won't be the first time we see him, either! ^_^**

 **PHEW! FINALLY GOT IT DONE!**

 **You won't believe how hard it was for me to get my muse back for this! I had other stories and new ideas constantly getting in the way of this.**

 **Not to mention some AWESOME new games that I couldn't put down.**

 **But, I digress! Here's the third chapter of this crossover! Next chapter has the now group of three tackle Hooktail's Castle, where they'll duke it out with the first big boss of the game!**

 **Please review, give feedback, and don't be afraid to ask questions!**

 **Oh, before I go, I wanted to ask you guys to help me decide on a pairing. I'm torn between Goombella, Vivian, and one of the Boo Sisters (Peeka or Lahla) that work for Don Pianta.**

 **I understand suggesting the Boo Sisters doesn't really make sense, but I have a good feeling I could make it work. But, it's ultimately up to you guys!**

 **Until next time!**

 _ **~pain17ification~**_


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